POLICE have launched a major anti-burglary initiative in a bid to cut the number of house break-ins and thefts on a High Wycombe housing estate.

Officers visited 1,000 homes on the crime-hit Castlefield estate as part of Operation Grotto to photograph property and mark it with the residents' postcode and house number.

Last year, there were 161 house burglaries in Castlefield -- twice the national average.

Police figures show that 139 of those occurred in half of the area around Rutland Avenue and Spearing Road, the main area being targeted by police.

Crime reduction officer PC Steve Kirby said: "A very similar scheme has been tried before in Wales on an estate similar to Castlefield which resulted in a reduction in burglary of over 50 per cent.

"We have already had tremendous support for this initiative from the residents of Castlefield. With the commitment of the residents and the dedication of our officers working on this initiative, we are confident this operation will be a success."

From this weekend, High Wycombe police officers will visit homes to take pictures of jewellery and other valuables for residents to keep.

Each householder has received their own ultra-violet property marking pen, crime prevention advice and window stickers to warn thieves about the scheme.

Officers will also be visibly marking some main items in the houses to deter thieves. Residents will be asked for a donation, which will go towards the Castlefield Residents' Association (CRA).

Last year, Castlefield was featured on a BBC documentary entitled The Force, about the level of crime on the estate. The image of the estate on the programme prompted residents to set up the CRA to combat crime and disturbances and improve the area.

PC Kirby said the majority of burglaries were carried out by people living in the area. He added: "There is a hard core of people who carry out these burglaries and it is these people who we want to deter.

"The more residents get involved in this, the better it will be for them and the more burglaries we will be able to prevent."

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